Echinacea plant named ‘Fatal Attraction’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Fatal Attraction’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; large single inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets; and strong dark purple-colored peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Fatal Attraction’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fatal Attraction’.

The new Echinacea originated from an open-pollination of an unnamed selection of Echinacea purpurea, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Hummelo, The Netherlands in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea by divisions in a controlled environment in Hummelo, The Netherlands since 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Fatal Attraction’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fatal Attraction’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fatal Attraction’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large single inflorescences with red purple-colored ray         florets.     -   5. Strong dark purple-colored peduncles that hold the         inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Echinacea are more compact and are more freely flowering.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the Echinacea cultivar Rubinstern, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of the cultivar Rubinstern in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were more compact and more         uniform than plants of the cultivar Rubinstern.     -   2. Peduncles of plants of the new Echinacea were dark purple in         color whereas peduncles of plants of the cultivar Rubinstern         were green in color.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea were darker red         purple in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar         Rubinstern.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fatal Attraction’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Fatal Attraction’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lisserbroek, The Netherlands during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 14° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about one year old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea cultivar ‘Fatal     Attraction’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About two months at             18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown to white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, upright and uniform plant             habit; inverted triangle; freely basal branching with             inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 57 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 47 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 54.6 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 4.8 cm. Aspect: Mostly             upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent; rough. Color:             187A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length, basal leaves.—About 16 cm.         -   Length, stem leaves.—About 9.1 cm.         -   Width, basal leaves.—About 7.7 cm.         -   Width, stem leaves.—About 2.8 cm.         -   Shape, basal leaves.—Ovate; apex, acute; base, attenuate.         -   Shape, stem leaves.—lanceolate; apex, acute; base,             attenuate.         -   Margin.—Irregularly serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 137B. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 137C. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 145A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 137C; venation, 145B.         -   Petiole length, basal leaves.—About 15.2 cm.         -   Petiole length, stem leaves.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Petiole diameter, basal leaves.—About 3 mm.         -   Petiole diameter, stem leaves.—About 2 mm.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—144A; towards the             base, 187A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate single inflorescence form with ray and             disc florets. Inflorescences positioned above the foliage on             strong peduncles. Inflorescences face upright. Freely             flowering habit; about three inflorescences develop per             lateral branch. Inflorescences not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Very faint; sweet.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from late July to             late September in The Netherlands.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about five weeks on the plant and for about             two weeks as a cut flower.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Shape: Narrowly oblong. Color: N186C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.9 cm. Depth (height):             About 3.3 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Oblanceolate. Length: About 3.8 cm.             Width: About 8 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number             of ray florets per inflorescence: About 36 arranged in one             or two whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: 71A;             towards the base, slightly darker. When opening, lower             surface: 61A; towards the apex, slightly darker. Fully             opened, upper surface: 71B; towards the base, slightly             darker. Fully opened, lower surface: 61B to 61C; towards the             base, slightly darker.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate. Length: About             8 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 400. Color: Immature: 197A tinted with             152A to 152B. Mature: 197A tinted with 152A to 152B.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Length:             About 1.2 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Linear. Apex:             Sharply acute. Color: Towards the base, 144A to 144B;             towards the apex, 53A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 40 in about             four whorls. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute; strongly reflexed. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 19.4 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture:             Pubescent; rough. Color: 187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity per disc floret:             Three. Anther shape: Linear. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: 151C. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:             14A. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape:             Cleft; reflexed. Stigma color: 144A. Style length: About             4 mm. Style color: 144A. Ovary color: 145C. Fruits: Length:             About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: 161B. Seeds:             Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Color: N199B. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Clematis have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind and have been observed to be suitable for     USDA Zones 4 to 9. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Fatal Attraction’ as illustrated and described. 